La Vie En Rose
by darlingsybil
Summary: In the bright lights of Paris, he teaches her how to live and she shows him how to love. CarterBlair.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** La Vie En Rose  
**Pairing:** Blair/Carter, Blair/Chuck**  
Disclaimer:** I don't own Gossip Girl…sigh  
**A/N:** Okay, so at heart everyone knows I'm at Chair fan, but this was just too tempting to pass off. It's basically the season finale except that instead of Blair waiting at the helipad and meeting Ben, she's at the airport where she meets dum dum dum…our favourite Carter Baizen. Yep, mildly based off the alternate ending that's been floating around. Enjoy! THANKS Nat, btw. There's also a little note on my page about my current status as well as the status of my other stories just for anyone who's interested.

* * *

The minute Blair realises that Chuck's late, she sends him a text, asking him blatantly, 'where r u?'. A minute passes with no reply, two minutes, nothing, and by five minutes, she's beginning to think that maybe he's dead. After all, the longest she's ever gone with not receiving a reply from him is thirty seconds, so the possibilities as to where he is start to mount in her head.

She takes a seat on the terminal lounge, tapping her foot on the hard polished floor, amusing herself by surveying the people that walk past her. Half of them are tourists, clad in 'I heart NY' shirts and goofy grins and the other half are business men, dressed to impress in Armani suits and stern expressions, mimics of Bart Bass. She feels lost and lonely, but nonetheless sits perfectly straight, her head raised high. She is a Waldorf after all and Waldorfs never slouch (no matter how abandoned they feel). It doesn't help that with every crowd that passes, their eyes are immediately drawn to her and for once, she wishes that she _didn't_ have all the attention in the room. Where, oh, where was Serena when you needed her?

Blair takes out her phone once more and frowns when she sees no new reply. Their plane departs in less than thirty minutes and Chuck's nowhere to be seen. Maybe she should check up on him at the Bass suite and after minutes of deliberating, she stands up, trying to find her way out of the airport, scouring for the nearest exit. She spots it and is in the process of picking up her bag to head towards it when she suddenly finds herself slipping on her heels, and would've, no doubt, become very intimately involved with the ridiculously hard-looking ground if it weren't for a pair of strong sturdy arms that grab her waist and hold her tightly.

"I never would've pictured you as a damsel in distress, Blair," jokes a familiar, rich voice as Blair finds her feet and looks up at her rescuer, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Carter Baizen, I never would've pictured you as a knight-in-shining Armani," Blair replies, fingering his leather jacket that matches his rugged appearance.

"Well, I've never been one for clichés," he says and Blair can't help but notice a certain twinkle in his eye. "So, where was Miss Waldorf heading to before she fell into my arms?"

"To see _my_ boyfriend," Blair states clearly and Carter rubs his jaw with a smirk to rival Chuck.

"Ah, yeah, I heard about you and Chuck," Carter says to Blair's surprise and without prompting he clarifies, "You're never too old for Gossip Girl."

"It takes a true man to admit that," Blair jokes, thinking back to many instances where she had caught Chuck on the Gossip Girl blog only to have him make the excuse that he couldn't find any good porn.

"So, where is Chuck?" Carter asks, looking around for any sign of his former apprentice but abandons his search when he hears Blair mutter, "Your guess is as good as mine". Blair lets out an annoyed sigh and checks her phone again, seeing now that they only have fifteen minutes left before their flight departs and still her boyfriend is nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, her phone vibrates and she instantly flips it open to find a text message from the devil himself. 'Cn't make it. Dn't kno when i can. I'll try 2 meet up wth u in France. Chuck.'

"Oh" is all the Blair can muster as she rereads the text, trying to pick it apart for any hidden messages or clues, but all she can see is Chuck blowing her off. She can feel her blood boil and her anger slowly rise, but she keeps her cool. After all, Chuck is Chuck. And she shouldn't feel angry. He probably just wants to spend more time with his father, she decides, but she can't help but feel that there's more to the picture.

"I'm taking it Prince Charming's not so charming?" Carter says, and Blair smiles forcefully, shutting her phone and sticking it into her purse.

"Prince Charming's just very busy. Turns out he can't make it to France with me," she says, a sad tremor in her voice as Carter gives a low whistle.

"And _who's_ he busy with?" Carter insinuates, raising his eyebrows. Blair scowls in disgust at him for even thinking of such a thing, but then she rolls her eyes and feels like a hypocrite as in the back of her mind, that's exactly what she was thinking.

"Chuck would never do that," she says firmly. "He loves me. He wouldn't do that to me."

"And how much of what you just said do you believe?" he asks her, knowing that he's hit a chord when she refuses to look at him. "Come on, Blair. You and I know both know how Chuck is. He doesn't _fall_ in love. He simply pretends to be in it. Then he breaks the girl's heart. How long until he's broken yours?"

She doesn't answer him. Instead she haughtily walks away from him, offended to how he described Chuck. Carter was wrong. He didn't know Chuck _at all._ In the past, Chuck may have been like that, but now that he was with Blair, he had changed. He was loyal and faithful and just because he couldn't make it to France did _not_ mean that he was cheating on her. She heard Carter's voice call out her name, but ignored it completely, strutting to the nearest shop that she could find. It didn't take long before he caught up to her, dragging behind him his luggage.

"Listen, I didn't mean to insult you back there," he says, standing next to her as she flickers through the magazine stand.

"Oh no, just meant to completely insult my choice of boyfriend," she retorts.

"Blair," he says, almost like a friend, "just consider what I said. If Chuck is the same Chuck that I knew and sadly enough, taught to be like me, well, then he's not worth your time."

He gives her a small nod and is off before she can reply. It seems ironic that Carter Baizen – _Carter Baizen_, out of all people - could be warning her about Chuck considering that, as he had said, he had been Chuck's former mentor. Then again, he and Chuck weren't on considerably good terms as she remembered hearing about their debacle with Nate. But no matter how much she wants to rush over to the Bass suite to prove that Chuck is a faithful boyfriend, there is that tiny voice inside her mind that keeps telling her 'listen to Carter' repeatedly. But she doesn't.

She imagines that if she did, she'd call out, "Carter," and he'd spin around, amused at the sight of her scurrying towards him with a scowl painted on her face. She'd ask sweetly, "So, where are you heading off to?" and he'd merely smile at her, causing all thoughts of Chuck Bass to flow from her mind.

But as she watches his disappearing figure, she shakes her head from all thoughts of 'what ifs and maybes'. She's with Chuck (at least she thinks she is) and decides that her trip to France will only strengthen their relationship as they take some time apart. After all, absence makes the heart grow heart fonder.

However, as she walks to the terminal, she ignores the fact that her eyes keep searching for a scruffy boy in a leather jacket.

* * *


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** La Vie En Rose  
**Pairing:** Blair/Carter, Blair/Chuck**  
Disclaimer:** I don't own Gossip Girl…sigh  
**A/N:** I think I love Sebastian Stan. No, wait - I do. I honestly don't know where this sudden love came, but it's happened! Woo Chapter 2. I think I'm going to concentrate on getting this story finished before my other stories, so I'm sorry to anyone waiting for an update from Cross My Heart or Lullaby. I promise that I'll try to get to them as soon as possible, it's just that I am in love with Sebastian Stan. hehe! THANKS NAT!

* * *

When Blair sees her father standing at the entrance of the Saint-Exupéry International Airport with a bouquet of French tulips, she lets go of all the restraint she's placed upon herself and sprints towards her father, throwing her arms around him.

"I've missed you, Daddy," she whimpers, and he tightens his arms around her tiny body, savouring a moment with his little girl.

They finally let go of each other and Harold Waldorf spins his daughter under his arm, wondering when in the world she transformed from his 'Blair-bear' into a young woman.

"You've definitely grown since Christmas," he says proudly and she nods her head as she begins to tell him about her life in New York and how nothing compares to being with her daddy right now. They exit the airport hand in hand as her father drags her luggage when suddenly he brings up the topic she's been dreading the most.

"And where is young Charles?" he asks, oblivious to the cringe on his daughter's face. She merely ignores the question and diverts his attention, saying that she can't wait to see Roman and the châteaux. She even asks about the cat named 'Cat' and smiles inwardly when he forgets all about Charles Bass. The only problem is, why can't she?

* * *

Two weeks into her stay with her father, Blair receives a call from a frantic Serena. She can barely make out anything her best friend is saying except for something about 'Chuck', 'blonde hussy' and 'I'm so sorry' and then it all clicks. Blair politely tells Serena 'thank you' and hangs up. She sits upright in her bed and looks through her phone, realising that the last time that Chuck called her was over a fortnight ago.

She isn't surprised – at least, she tells herself she _isn't._ The truth of the matter is Carter Baizen was right and she should've known that a tiger doesn't change its stripes. Simply put, Chuck Bass will forever be _Chuck Bass_.

Blair can feel the gears in her brain working as she decides that she'll spend her next couple of weeks in France getting tanned, fresher and more revived before she has to come face to face with her 'lover'. She'll show him who's boss and she can already picture his face of regret when he realises what he's lost again.

* * *

Her father tells her that for her last two weeks in France, they'll stay in the French Riviera for the first, then in Paris for the next. She's excited and she and Roman spend a day in Lyon trying on different outfits. It surprises her that she's become accustomed to the man that stole her father from her family, but she supposes that if it had to be anyone, Roman at least had good style. Roman shows her all the tourist attractions in Lyon whilst her father attends to business and she truly enjoys her time spent with him. They stop at a café and she resists the urge to roll her eyes when they sit next to a couple reminiscent of her and that Bass boy.

She hates it that he evokes so much emotion in her and when her coffee comes, she drowns it instantly, pretending that it were a warm liquor that would make all her troubles disappear.

It turns out it's just coffee.

They leave the café (finally) and Blair feels her phone vibrating. She expects to see Serena's bubbly face pop up on the screen but instead sees the smirk that she's grown to hate.

It takes all of one second for her to press decline and suddenly she feels so much better. When he tries to call again later that night, she lets it ring for five seconds before she answers in a sweet saccharine voice, "You have reached Blair Waldorf. I'm not sorry I can't come to the phone because right now I'm having a ménage a trios with a couple of French boys who can fuck better than my lousy cheating boyfriend ever could. Au revoir!"

Blair hangs up after she hears him grit his teeth non-discreetly and proceeds with packing her suitcase, ready to hit the French Riviera. She doesn't regret what she did, he could've called to apologise but she wouldn't have listened. After her relationship with Nate, she learnt that she wasn't going play the second fiddle. If Chuck Bass seriously thought that an apology was all it was going to take for her to forgive him, then he really didn't know her.

Blair Waldorf never backs down.

* * *

It isn't before long that she, her father and Roman are in the French Riviera, basking in the golden sunlight that seems exempt from her Manhattan home. She lazes on the beach every afternoon, closing her eyes, letting the sweet sensations run over her body. The wind blows softly and the sunlight dances over her tanned body (who would've thought she'd have a tan?) and her ears suddenly perk when she hears the sound of laughter a few metres away from her. She opens her eyes and tilts her head, finding herself eye to eye with a group of young men. They wave and smile at her, but she doesn't move. Instead she lays back down, counting backwards from five.

It takes the men two seconds to walk over to her, and Blair entices them to sit next to her, proud of her achievement.

After all, Blair Waldorf does not chase after boys…they chase after her.

She finds out that they're all French and can barely speak a sentence of English. It doesn't worry her, though. In fact, it provides the opposite reaction as she dazzles them with her French skills, batting her eyelashes lowly at the youngest one – Louis – as she decides he's her target.

They spend the afternoon frolicking in the sand and when night falls, they build a bonfire and sit around it as Louis wraps his arm around Blair, shielding her from the nightly chill. The boys begin to sing 'La Marseillaise' and invite her to join in, but she declines, afraid that her voice will scare them away. She almost doesn't hear her phone ring over their loud, praiseworthy song and when she answers it, the first thing she hears is 'Waldorf, we need to talk.'

"Oh, really?" she replies and gives Louis her phone, wishing she could hear Chuck's voice as Louis says in a solid, French voice, "Bon soir. Comment vous appellez-vous?"

She laughs when Louis hands her back her phone with the sound of a dial tone and she almost tucks her phone into her bag when an idea sparks in her head. She brings Louis and his friends around her and asks one of them to take a photo of their joyous group. Making sure that Louis has his arms around her, she smiles brightly as the flash on her phone goes off and thanks the young French man when he gives her back her phone. She looks at the photo and sends it without hesitation.

It's about time that Gossip Girl went international.

* * *

_Translations:_

Au revoir - "See you again!"/Good Bye  
Bon soir - Good Evening  
Comment tu t'appelles? - What's your name?

* * *


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** La Vie En Rose  
**Pairing:** Blair/Carter, Blair/Chuck**  
Disclaimer:** I don't own Gossip Girl…sigh**  
A/N:** Yay! Third chapter! I'm sorry for the lack of updates so to make up for that, I made this chapter longer. Hopefully you guys are enjoying Blair/Carter. As for Cross My Heart, all I can say is that I'm going to try my best to get a new chapter up next week. Thanks to everyone who reviewed or alerted, I know I say it a lot, but I seriously mean it when I say that everything you guys do means a lot to me! Thanks to Nat too!

* * *

Blair isn't surprised when Serena calls the next morning, demanding to know every detail of what had happened. Purposely, Blair pauses, pretending that she hasn't that faintest clue as to what Serena's blabbering about, but it doesn't take much coaxing for her to break down excitedly and start squealing.

She abandons the packing she's meant to be doing for her trip to Paris tomorrow and flops onto her bed, dangling her feet off the edge as she begins to recount her late night escapade with her new favourite French boys. Serena laughs along with Blair, but something in her voice alerts Blair to the fact that something's wrong.

"So," Blair pauses, trying to get her wording right, so she that doesn't seem like a needy ex-girlfriend of Chuck Bass, "how did Chuck take it?" (sadly, it doesn't work). She waits for an answer, but Serena seems to ignore the question and instead starts a conversation about Chanel.

"Serena, answer me," Blair says sternly. The hesitation from Serena confirms Blair's suspicions that she had indeed heard the question, but it also gives Blair a uncomforting feeling. "Serena?"

"Blair, I'm so sorry," Serena begins and Blair _almost_ wishes she hadn't asked. "Last night, well, after Chuck found out about you and the French boys, he, um…well, let's say he had his own late night escapade."

Blair's mouth drops and for the second time in the past week, she feels her heart crumble and shatter. She knows that she shouldn't be feeling this way, she knows who Chuck Bass is and what he does, but she can't help the fact that she's aching. Her sadness passes and is quickly replaced with anger. How dare he move on that quickly? Sure, she may have insinuated that she and Louis had shared something, but she never would've actually done anything. Despite people's perceptions, Blair Waldorf was not a slut. She was merely a girl who wore her heart on her sleeve and _always _ended up getting hurt.

Blair laughs away her aggravation at Chuck and proceeds with telling Serena about her upcoming trip to Paris. She has a feeling that Serena knows she's pretending, but she doesn't care. The last things Blair wants right now is to hear Serena's words of wisdom and after five minutes, she gives the excuse that her father is calling her to eat. When Blair hangs up, she stares at her phone in disbelief and annoyance. It honestly angers her what Chuck's done and even though, she had subtly done the same thing, it doesn't stop her from feeling cheated.

Deciding once and for all that she doesn't need Chuck Bass, Blair makes a promise to herself. She'll make the best out of these holidays. She'll party, she'll shop, she'll get a manicure. She'll do anything and everything to rid Chuck Bass from her mind. The first thing she does is open up her wallet and removes a picture of her and Chuck hugging on a park bench in Central Park. At first, she regrets what she's about to do (after all, they do look rather cute in the picture), but then she realises that it's thoughts like these that keep getting her heart broken. She walks over to her fireplace and pauses briefly, taking a moment of silence, before letting the picture slip from her fingers, burning into little fragments of ash and memories.

They're over, Chuck and her. She just has to accept it.

* * *

When she arrives in Paris with her father and Roman the first thing that Blair Waldorf does is go to the Louis Vuitton store and buys herself a new purse and sunglasses that aren't available in New York. She uses them straight out of the shop and even though people point and stare at her like she's a young Catherine Denevue, she doesn't feel special.

Roman notices her new accessories and tells her she looks beautiful, but all she can respond with is a mere 'thank you' and a polite smile. She knows that he knows that something's wrong, but he's still afraid to say the wrong things to her, in fear that she'll try to sabotage his relationship with her father again.

For her first two days in Paris, she goes to her favourite usual places: the Louvre, Moulin Rogue, every fashion show that's taking place and soon enough, she begins to find herself uninterested. She begins to realise that bored doesn't even start to describe what she's feeling and even though she loves the bright lights of Paris, she wants more.

The next day, she decides to walk. Yes, Blair Waldorf can walk and when she tells her father at breakfast, he gives her a weird look, but nonetheless, says that a walk in Paris can change her life. He asks her if she wants some company, but she tells him that she's fine and it's alright if he goes to his business meetings like he originally planned to. Harold suggests that Roman accompany Blair, but Blair laughs it off, joking light-heartedly that Roman and walking go together like Eleanor Waldorf and discount stores.

* * *

She leaves their hotel in a flowy, floral sundress that shows off her radiant skin and slips a bright pink headband into her perfectly wavy tresses. The sun shines gloriously and the light breeze blows passes Blair softly. Today she's feeling on top of the world and when people notice her, she lifts her head up high and acts like the prima donna that she is. French whispers fly past her and Blair takes into stride her increasing confidence levels as a _cute_ French boy passes her on his bike, sending her a quick smile.

When she reaches her thirty-minute mark, she finds herself in front of the Notre Dame Cathedral, imperial in all its majesty. It towers over her like the Empire State Building, only much more regal and definitely not a sight for sore eyes. Though she's seen it many times, she finds herself overwhelmed and has to sit down on a park bench as the intensity of the building overwhelms her. She imagines being trapped in the cathedral like Quasimodo and instantly she feels sorry for the Hunchback who had to endure a life inside the constrictive walls.

The booming sound of the bell resonates throughout the city, signifying noon and Blair, like the birds around her, jumps startled. She laughs it off wearily but looks around her stealthily, making sure that no one noticed her apprehension. When the coast seems clear, she stands up from her seat and slips her sunglasses back over her eyes, preparing to make her next mark, when suddenly she feels as though a pair of eyes are watching her. She looks around and notices a flash somewhere in the distance, but can't make out where it's coming from. Maybe it was just her imagination, but as she walks away from Notre Dame, she keeps her eyes focused at all times on her surroundings. She soon regrets doing this as she startles herself by immediately bumping clumsily into a stranger.

"I'm beginning to think that you're falling head over heels for me," says the stranger and his recognizable voice shakes Blair out of her daze and she finds herself face to face with Carter Baizen _again_.

"I'm beginning to think that you're stalking me," she replies, happy to see a familiar face in a crowd of forgettable faces.

"Well, you can never keep me away from a beautiful woman," Carter says and Blair can't resist the urge to blush uncontrollably. He smiles at her not so usual expression and when she regains her composure, she says curiously, "I never knew you were going to be Paris."

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Blair Waldorf," he tells her with a suggestive, mysterious tone to his voice, concealed with a small smirk. "So, where's Mr Bass?"

Instantly, he can tell that it's a sore subject for her as her face tightens and she folds her hands over her chest. That's all he needs to see from her and despite the fact that he desperately wants to sing, 'I told you so', he changes the topic and asks her inquisitively, "So, how long you staying in Paris?"

Her mood lightens immediately and she replies, "Till Saturday. Then I'm going to the Hamptons to visit Serena." At the mention of Serena's name, she notices Carter cringe slightly, but ignores it as he jokes, "You're leaving the City of Lights to go to the playground for spoilt brats?"

"For your information, one, you were, and I'm not sure if you still are, a spoilt brat. Two, the City of _lumière_ is losing its spark."

"One, I'm still a brat, not necessarily that spoilt anymore and two, well that all depends. Where have been so far?" Carter asks, moving out of an old French man's way. The man shouts out 'Merci' even though he's only a metre away and Blair proceeds with telling Carter about visiting the Louvre, the fashion shows and the Moulin rogue.

"Well, no wonder you're already bored. All you've visited is tourist France," he responds, shaking his head. "I would've expected more from you, Blair," he jokes, but still has a look of confusion on her face.

"Wait, what are you talking, Carter?" she scowls, furrowing her eyebrows.

"I mean, Miss Waldorf, that you're visiting the places in Paris that are especially marked for tourists. Sure, the Louvre's _exciting_, but come on, after the fiftieth trip there, you begin to realise the Mona Lisa's a medieval drag queen."

Blair stifles her laughter, but can't remove the smirk from her face as she rolls her eyes in her common Blair Waldorf way. "Oh and the Venus de Milo is ancient porn?"

"Now you're catching my drift," he replies, and there's a sparkle in his eyes that reminds her dangerously of a certain Bass. "You need to visit the _real_ Paris, Blair."

"And what exactly _is_ the real Paris?"

"Well, it depends," he says slowly, taking a step closer to Blair. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

This time it's Blair who takes a step back, mildly surprised by Carter's inquiry. Did Carter Baizen just ask her out? No, it couldn't be. She shakes her head, realising that he had simply asked her what her plans for tomorrow were, but from the look on his face, it had been the insinuation that she was afraid of.

"Are you asking me out Carter Baizen?" she says, raising an eyebrow in an amused, but anxious tone and when he doesn't say a word, but merely smiles, she knows she's right.

She reminds herself that it's far too soon…but then again, Carter is a friend (or at least something resembling that) and that it's perfectly fine for friends to hang out together.

"Listen Blair, I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm not scared," she says firmly, but he dismisses her tough exterior and proceeds with, "Think about it this way. When Chuck hears about you gallivanting across Paris with me, he's sure to blow the stick from his ass."

Her lips curl into a grin and she's immediately attracted to the idea, wanting desperately to get Chuck back. She moves closer towards him, taking her sunglasses off her eyes and batting her luscious lashes at Carter.

"So, tomorrow?"

* * *


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** La Vie En Rose  
**Pairing:** Blair/Carter, Blair/Chuck**  
Disclaimer:** I don't own Gossip Girl…sigh**  
A/N:** WOHOO I'M BACK! Anyways, thank you to everyone who left kind reviews :) I honestly didn't think I'd be able to come back so easily, but surprisingly have. My writing's a bit rusty at the moment, so hopefully you'll all just ignore my silly mistakes. And another thing, I am in desperate need of a beta. This chapter is unbeta'd so there'll probably be a lot of errors as well. If there are any takers, please send me a message :) A BIG GIGANTIC THANK YOU to everyone and Nat especially.

* * *

She wakes up in the middle of the night and realises that _she_ has a date with Carter Baizen. Out of all the people in all the world, it had to be him. She doesn't know whether to laugh, be excited or scared, so she lies in her bed and listens to a French woman's song travel into her room with the midnight breeze. It sounds familiar, but right now, she can't determine anything in her mind except for the fact that _she_ has a date with _Carter Baizen_. It means nothing, she's sure. After all, Carter is just part of her plan to get back at her sad excuse of a cheating boyfriend – wait, ex-boyfriend, she means.

To be honest, she didn't expect things to turn out this way. In the depths of her mind, she had prayed that she and Chuck would have a happy ending … too bad her heart was always telling her that good things never lasted. She knows she should've known better – after all, a Bass is always a Bass – but can't help herself for thinking that maybe they'll work things out. It's a degrading thought, but she does lo – like him a lot, more so than she tells herself.

Which brings her back to Carter Baizen. _Carter Baizen. _Sure, she had had a crush on him when she was a freshman, but that was the extent of any romantic feelings she held towards him. When he came back last year, she had noticed the maturity in his face and the way he entered a room filled with confidence and ease. But there was still something about him that screamed 'UES brat'. Maybe it was the way his eyes twinkled when he held a drink or the fact that he would rather wear his leather jacket at public gatherings than the tailor made suits every other male seemed to be fond of.

It should faze her that he had nearly duped Nate, but then again, she can't blame him considering that a five year old could probably coax Nate into buying them a pony. But there is something about Carter Baizen that cautions her. She has to remind herself that Chuck did base himself off of him and that behind those dark grey eyes, there's a young man with the secrets of the world.

* * *

Her clock alarms at quarter to eight and she's close to pressing the snooze button, when a thought registers in her head: her date with Carter Baizen is today.

She sits up, still for a moment as she considers her option. Maybe she can get out of it, call him and pretend to have gotten food poisoning, but there are two problems with that idea: one, she doesn't have his number and two, she doesn't want to cancel. Well, at least she thinks she doesn't. In fact, she's rather excited now.

After taking a shower, she looks through her dresser, finding a dress suitable for the day, but gives up when she realises that she has no clue what events will partake. She thinks that he'll be a gentlemen and take her out to see a French play and then to dinner, but after his 'passionate' speech yesterday, she highly doubts it. She imagines him taking her to the beach where the can have a picnic on the sand, but even that seems a bit clichéd for him. Sighing in defeat, she pulls out a knee length navy blue dress that clings onto her upper body but flows freely, deciding that it's close enough to casual chic. She lightly dabs make-up on her face, ties her hair up in a slick ponytail with a white ribbon and straps on her heels before she leaves her hotel room right at five to ten.

She's stands outside the hotel when her watch points to ten and looks around, trying to find any sign of Carter. When five minutes pass by, she shrugs it off, thinking to herself, 'he'll come'. When ten minutes pass by, she begins to feel the slightest tug of anxiety as this becomes a situation she's _too _accustomed too. And finally when the hand on her watch moves to twenty past ten, she lets out an aggravated sigh, spins on her heel and starts heading back into the hotel when she suddenly hears a revving engine. Immediately, she realises what kind of date she's gotten herself into.

Turning around slowly, she finds her gaze locked on a rusty black motorcycle making its way towards her, and she jerks backward when it stops inches away from her perfectly manicured feet.

"Learn how to drive!" she exclaims angrily, as the driver slips off his helmet off his head and flashes a crooked grin at her. "Honestly, Carter, you're twenty two minutes late."

He merely laughs at her and leans against his motorbike, folding his arms across his chest. "The French have no concept of time."

"Which explains why they've lost so many wars," she grits through her teeth. She has half a mind to say goodbye and leave him to his isolated self (he nearly did crush her toes), but she can't bring herself to move. He stands before her, in a pair of ratty jeans, a white t-shirt and his _favourite_ leather jacket, hardly anything like she's dated before. With his hair rustled and a morning stubble covering his face, Carter Baizen barely resembles anything 'UES' and she has to remind herself that she was the one who agreed to the date.

"Are you still in?" His voice breaks her thoughts and she's now staring into a pair of worldly eyes, eagerly awaiting her answer. 'Say no, say no', her brain tells her, but the pounding of her heart makes her nod her head slowly as he once again breaks out into another smile.

"Well, then get on," he says, swinging his leg over the side of the motorbike, and motioning his head towards the backseat. Blair's UES upbringing kicks in and she gasps in disgust at what he wants her to do.

"You want me to sit there? On that dirty machine? In this dress?" she shrieks, holding her dress out. "This is a Zac Posen original."

"I'm sure Zac won't be offended if you got a bit of dust on it."

"A bit of dust? That bike is practically covered with the whole Sahara!"

Carter laughs and begins to rev up the engine. "You can create a desert line then for Zac."

"Oh and like anyone would wear that? The Cleopatra look is so 90s."

"Must you contradict everything I say?" Carter jokes and notices the tiniest fragment of a smile appear on Blair's face.

"What can I say, it's a talent," she replies proudly. It still doesn't help that she has to get on the dirty machine, but as she steps closer to it, she reminds herself that it's only for one day.

"It won't bite," Carter says and she rolls her eyes, standing straight as she breathes in, prepared to break all the formal decorum she's learnt. She puts her hands on Carter's shoulders and shivers softly when he places his hands over hers, his touch gentler than what she would've expected. Discreetly, she brings her leg over the seat of the bike, and shifts awkwardly into the back seat, trying to find a position comfortable for the journey. It's uncomfortable (barely) being this close to Carter and she once again has that trembling feeling inside of her when he takes her fingers and wraps them around his defined torso.

"Have to make sure you hold on. Wouldn't want you falling off," he says and surprisingly, she scoffs, but with a smile on her face. "And to complete my total destruction of your image, here, put this on."

"Are you serious?" she says, taking the rather large black helmet from his hands and cringing at it. "This will crush my hair and my ribbon."

"Well, at least they lived a happy wonderful life."

"I refuse," she states defiantly, handing it back to him. "I'll be just like an actress from an olden day movie with my hair flying in the wind."

"Alright one, I bet you there were no tragic automobile accidents in their scripts and two, people back then were stupid. Blair, just put on the helmet and then we can get going," he says with a just as equal stern voice. She's almost afraid to disappoint him, so reluctantly, she takes the helmet from his hands and slides it forcefully into her head, the force almost making her fall side wards.

"See, there you go," he says, imaging the frown behind the helmet, "you even look kinda cute still."

Her ears immediately perk at the compliment and she's glad she's wearing the helmet as she feels her cheek turn the brightest pink. "You think I'm cute?"

"I said 'kinda'," he reinforces, but even he knows she's caught him.

"But you still think I'm cute," she says in almost a singsong tune and he decides now's the best time to put on his helmet. He presses harder on the pedal and the engine makes a defying sound that's sure enough to wake up the whole of Paris. Blair wraps her arms tighter around Carter and leans into his back, ready to experience a Paris she's never seen.

* * *


End file.
